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From: Wounded.Bird@f38.n135.z1.fidonet.org (Wounded Bird)
Newsgroups: sci.med.aids
Subject: Questions
Message-ID: <38194@shemp.CS.UCLA.EDU>
Date: 20 Aug 90 04:07:45 GMT
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Note:	Copyright 1990 by Daniel R. Greening.  Permission granted for
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Archive-number: 2398

Hi, Tandika. I am a PWA and will try to answer some of your questions based on 
my experiences and on extensive readings. I'll just skip your questions that I 
cannot answer.

 >1. I was told that AZT makes the patient emotionally "grouchy/touchy". Is 
this
 >true? If it is, does it affect all, most, some, or just those with a 
tendency
 >to be a grinch to begin with?

I have taken AZT since April 1989 and it has some very serious side effects 
but I am not aware of any psychological side effects. It is quite common for 
PWA's and anyone experiencing a terminal illness to become angry and 
frustrated as well as experience depression and despair. My doctor put me on 
Prozac (an anti depressant) a few months ago and it has been marvelous for 
controlling/limiting these mood swings. It has made the difference between 
existance and life enjoyment with me. It is only effective/tolerable for about 
60% of people taking it but it is certainly worth trying. I can't say enough 
good things about it's effect on my life.

 >3. Is any financial aid (to an individual) available through the Social
 >Security Administration?

Absolutely! Congress, thankfully added AIDS to a list of diseases/conditions 
that automatically imply disability. We no longer have to prove that our 
individual case is disabling. Assuming your brother has paid into the social 
security system, SSD payments begin 5 months after the date of disability - 
last day of work. SSI is available during the interim if you are indigent - do 
not have assets (cars, home, money, stocks cash value of life insurance, etc.) 
greater than $2000. The people at Social Security were very helpful to me and 
everything was handled expeditiously over the telephone and through the mail. 
Give them a call. It's very important to get the process going because 
medicare has a 2 year waiting period unless you qualify for SSI.

 >5. What are "tactful" ways of handling the following emotionally charged
 >comments and responses:

I am tactful in kind- meaning that if the question/comment is sincere and 
considerate so is my response. Those comments you listed would not elicit a 
very tactful response from me. I don't have as much time as I once thought I 
had so my priorities are probably different than yours. I try to respond with 
factual, quotable material except when I'm feeling a little sassy and 
sarcastic. It depends on who I am talking to and how well I know them. On this 
echo my sarcasm is quite often just good therapy for *me* as it allows the 
safety valve to blow off steam.

The book, "When Bad Things Happen to Good People" by Kushner will help you 
develop ideas for responses to comments and beliefs inherrant in our 
judao/christian society. I found it very comforting. 
Tandika, respect your brother's wishes about who should be told and who 
shouldn't. I see no problem in telling him who already knows about his 
sexuality but this is a very personal problem. You might try to explain that 
he is being unfair to his mother by not allowing her to demonstrate her love 
and understanding but only you and he know whether she feels that way. With 
some people "things unsaid" and not confronted are a family necessity. As far 
as telling people about his AIDS, ask yourself is there any real reason that 
they should know the details of his personal medical status.

--  
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